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The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-1.
Yes, they have looked more bad than good at times, have suffered numerous injuries, and have inflicted almost as many wounds on themselves as their opponents have dialed up, but with a positive point differential, a choice spot in a pretty bad division, and one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, the Eagles have the makings of a playoff team once more, right?
…yeah, while the Eagles are more or less locked to make the playoffs this year unless things take a 2023-esque turn for the worst, they have some pretty serious issues that could limit their ceiling considerably down the stretch, some of which are fixable, some of which simply are not.
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The Eagles have no depth at wide receiver
In Week 2, the Eagles knew they would be in for a challenge down their best receiver, nay, their best offensive player period, AJ Brown.
With Brown expected to miss “multiple weeks” after coming up awkwardly at practice, the Eagles had to get creative to stay alive in a shootout with the Falcons, and while they didn't ultimately come out of the game with a W due to extenuating circumstances – a drop from Saquon Barkley, a final drive Jalen Hurts interception, Vic Fangio's defense – they still managed to remain competitive down a certified All-Pro receiver.
In Week 3, the Eagles were a bit more prepared for life without Brown, but unfortunately, even the adjustments Kellen Moore made had to be thrown out of the window, as both Britain Covey – the Eagles' unlikely WR3 – and DeVonta Smith suffered injuries that knocked them out of action, forcing Philadelphia to use players like practice Jahan Dotson, Johnny Wilson, and practice squad elavatee Parris Campbell alongside the stars of the game, Dallas Goedert and Saquon Barkley.
Now, for the Eagles in 2024 – and, to be fair, for the entirety of the Sirianni era – this is nothing new, as of the 733 yards Hurts has thrown for in 2024, only 122 yards have been recorded by someone not named Brown, Smith, Barkley, or Goedert, with Covey leading the way at 34 yards over three games. Still, considering the statuses of Brown and Smith are unclear for Week 4, and Covey is likely heading to IR with a broken bone in his shoulder, someone has to step up to play a bigger role for the Eagles in their final game in September, especially considering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' ability to put up points if given an opportunity.
After being acquired alongside a fifth-round pick for a third and two sevenths, the Eagles really need something out of Dotson moving forward, as otherwise, another offensive weapon may be needed before the trade deadline in order to guarantee that Hurts has someone to throw to if Smith or Brown – or, football gods forbid, Smith and Brown – go down again.
Vic Fangio's defense is hit-and-miss
In Week 3, the Eagles' defense looked as advertised. They severely limited one of the hottest offenses in the NFL, allowing just 130 yards through the air, and held a rushing offense averaging 185 yards per game to just 89 on the way to Dennis Allen's first sub-44 point scoring effort of the season.
And yet, does anyone truly feel confident that the Eagles' defense will be able to do it again in Week 4 or beyond? Or will the ghosts of Week 1 and especially Week 2 continue to haunt Philadelphia, with a lack of a pass rush and soft zone concepts leading to ease completions and game-changing drives?
Unfortunately, it's probably the latter.
Now, to Fangio's credit, it looked like he made some of the right decisions heading into Week 3, with Bryce Huff taking a step back, Zach Baun playing an even bigger role where his hybrid status as a linebacker/edge rusher in his second double-digit tackle game of the season, and the secondary making more plays than they gave up, with Reed Blankenship securing the game-sealing interception to put a second notch in the Eagles' win column. Then again, what happens if Blankenship doesn't undercut that route or if Derek Carr puts that ball in a better spot, leading to a first down instead of an INT? Do the Saints score, either a field goal or a touchdown, and either steal another win at the end of regulation or take things to overtime, where a coin flip can decide on the game's winner?
In Week 2, the Eagles threw a pick with under two minutes left in regulation and effectively sealed their own loss. In Week 3, it was the Saints who threw that crucial pick and cost themselves the game, with Philly benefitting from that misfortune. While both situations are somewhat flukey, it shows just how little the margin of effort can be for Philadelphia's defense and how quickly things can fall apart if Fangio doesn't remain aggressive.
Nick Sirianni keeps making weird decisions
After narrowly retaining his job heading into the 2024 NFL season, Sirianni is already in the hot seat – at least according to Eagles fans – despite leading his team to a 2-1 record with a +7 point differential.
But why? Is it because of his sideline antics, with opposing fanbases routinely clowning on his animated personality? Or maybe because of his propensity for taking all the blame for any bad decision instead of providing fans with an honest assessment of his team's miscues?
Frankly, the answer is simple: Sirianni just keeps making weird decisions.
He's going for 60-yard field goals that could give the ball back to the Saints' NFL-leading scoring offense at the 50, he's going for it on fourth down just before the half instead of putting points on the board, and he's still usurping power from his coordinators to make important calls with the game on the line, even if those decisions are routinely out of line with the game flow and oftentimes simply not working out.
Can the Eagles overcome injuries? Sure. Can Fangio trust his players and remain aggressive instead of dropping seven in soft zone? Yes. But will Sirianni keep making odd decisions, be they based on analytics, football intuition, or just sheer bad luck? Unfortunately, it feels like Sirianni's weird calls will continue, as he's been making them since he was hired. The real question is, can the Eagles overcome them?
